Physicians Prescribe Meditation over Medication

Meditation is prescribed to overcome Covid 19 Substance Abuse, Depression and Anxiety

National Institute on Drug Abuse NIH, Advancing Addiction Science states that overdose rates of Anxiety and Depression has increased due to Covid 19. There are several cases of deaths and overdose for individuals that are taking medicines for anxiety and depression. This is another reason why meditation is an approach that Healthcare Professionals are recommending to patients. Benzodiazepines is a medicine that is prescribed for patients with depression and anxieties. Overdose and deaths have been on the rise. Families are dealing with unemployment, social distancing, and the unsureness of the future. The age from young adults to elderly vary and there is research show male and female are effective. Some deaths are included with the use of opioids.

To name some of the medicines that contributes to deaths are the use of alprazolam, clonazepam, diazepam, and benzodiazepines. There are several thousand physicians that are prescribing meditation as alternative medicine to help their patients.

According to the Census Bureau During August 19, 2020–February 1, 2021, the percentage of adults with symptoms of an anxiety or a depressive disorder increased. Increases were largest among adults aged 18–29 years and among those with less than a high school education.

I spoke with Brian Buss, MS, Edu, founder and Mindfulness instructor and therapist of Into Balance. When asked what issues people are seeking to overcome when they come to see him. Buss said, “there has been an increase of people of all ages seeking help with depression, anxiety and even suicidal thoughts.” The Mindful Meditation sessions that Buss instructs are designed to help individuals build self-control over impulsive behaviors, creating a more balanced approach with their internal emotions.

Buss states, “after learning the Mindful Meditation method, client’s diagnosis improved.” Many were able to reduce their medication or stop it all together. Many clients can get back to their routine live and manage their emotions.

The Pew Research Center study according to the Religious Landscape study which show that Christians, including 49% of evangelical Protestants, 40% of Catholics and 55% of members of the historically black Protestant tradition also say they meditate once a week or more. And 77% of Jehovah’s Witnesses say they meditate at least once per week. For all other that are not religious and are identified as atheist or agnostic meditate 26%.

Some of the benefits of meditation are Anxiety, Asthma, Cancer, Chronic pain, Depression, Heart disease, High blood pressure, Irritable bowel syndrome, Sleep problems, Tension headaches to name a few. Several physicians, like Dr. Aditi Nerurkar, are prescribing meditation to patients. She is the Co-Director of the HMS Clerkship in Community Engagement. Nerurkar said “It’s basically the way I prescribe medicine. I do not start on a high dose right away. She recommends 5 minutes twice a day.”

Dr. Rex Hoffman, the medical director of radiation oncology at Roy and Patricia Disney Family Cancer Center in Burbank, prescribes meditation to his patients. One of Dr. Hoffman’s patients, was being treated for a curable cancer but had high anxiety during radiation. Hoffman tried sedatives and they did not work for him, so he suggested the patient do meditation to control his fears. The patient attended meditation classes and it worked. For the critical medical cases, alternatives therapies seem to provide both emotional and physical relief, medical ailments, according to the findings, which were published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

The drugs have been a great concern with the CDC Disease Control and Prevention, new guidelines have been issued. The FDA has gotten involved by placing a label on the benzodiazepines and anti-depression opioids drugs highlighting the dangers of combining the two drugs.